The Weaver's Incident

Japanese: 織傭の変 - しょくようのへん

In 1601 (29th year of the Wanli era), a popular anti-tax protest broke out in Suzhou, China, mainly among silk weavers (weavers). The silk weaving industry had developed in Suzhou since the Song and Yuan dynasties, and by the beginning of the 17th century, there were several thousand privately run weaving households, and several thousand weavers and dyers each. In response, the Ming dynasty, which was suffering from a financial shortage, tried to strengthen tax collection by sending eunuchs. The weaving eunuch in charge of Suzhou and Hangzhou was Sun Long, but on June 3rd, more than 2,000 workers took action in opposition to the exploitation by Sun and his gang, and launched a disciplined and organized struggle, succeeding in expelling Sun Long and winning tax cuts for weaving households that were on the verge of bankruptcy due to heavy taxes, demonstrating the capabilities of urban handicraft workers.

Source: Heibonsha World Encyclopedia, 2nd Edition Information

Japanese:

1601年(万暦29)に絹織労働者(織傭)を主体として，中国の蘇州でおこった民衆の反税闘争。宋･元時代以来，蘇州では絹織物業が発達し，17世紀初めには，民営の機戸だけで数千戸，織工と染工はおのおの数千人を数えるにいたった。これに対し，財政不足に悩む明朝は，宦官を派遣して徴税を強化しようとした。蘇州と杭州を担当したのは織造太監孫隆であるが，孫一味による収奪に反対して，6月3日，2000余人の労働者は行動をおこし，規律正しい組織的な闘争をくりひろげ，孫隆の追放に成功するとともに，重税で倒産にひんしていた機戸のために減税をかちとって，都市手工業労働者の力量を示した。

出典　株式会社平凡社世界大百科事典第２版について　情報

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